Finding Inspiration in Unexpected Places
For our daughter’s fourteenth birthday, we took a family trip to the Harry Potter Studios in Watford. I grew up in Watford but moved away a little before Leavesden Aerodrome was turned into a Warner Bros studio lot. I have family in that direction, so we have driven passed the site on occasion and seen the famous purple Knight Bus.
Our daughter is a life-long fan of the Harry Potter series and can answer any trivia question thrown at her. I, on the other hand, have never read the books or seen all of the films. I know. It’s a crime. I apologise. It’s something I will rectify once I’ve liberated the books from our daughter’s bedroom. I might have to carry out an early morning raid …
The thing is, I admire J K Rowling. Not long after I started writing novels, I watched her bio pic and even allowing for artistic licence, I found it an emotional and inspiring story.
So, yes, I was excited to be visiting the studio, but I was thinking in terms of the films, looking forward to seeing the sets, the costumes and our daughter opening the doors to the Great Hall (a birthday treat). What I didn’t expect was my emotional response to a quote from J K Rowling, posted on the wall in the queuing foyer.
It positively choked me. I had goosebumps, shivers and a deeper understanding of what it is to be a writer.
Everything we saw at the studio started as a seed of an idea in a writer’s head.
The day took a completely different turn for me, and I looked at everything through a writer’s eye. Perhaps I should have been doing that from the start, but we were there to see the incredible animatronics, Diagon Alley and Privet Drive, and we did, and they were amazing, but I love the fact we were reminded that Harry Potter, the boy wizard, first appeared to us on a page in a book.
Unexpected.
Fantastic.
Laura x
I want to go to HP world – the stories are magical (no pun intended). I loved the films too. The sign of a good movie (personally speaking) is one I can watch over and over. I can do that with the HP series – and with Lord of the Rings. It doesn’t seem that long ago that the highlight of the year was a new Harry Potter.
Lovely post, Laura.
Thanks, Liv.